Aireon
announced today
that it has
signed a
Memorandum of
Understanding
(MOU) with Saudi
Air Navigation
Services (SANS),
Saudi Arabia’s
Air Navigation
Service Provider
(ANSP).
SANS is managing
one of the
largest and
busiest
airspaces in the
Middle East, and
through this
MoU, SANS will
develop and
analyze a
concept of
operations for
space-based
Automatic
Dependent
Surveillance-Broadcast
(ADS-B) as an
additional layer
of surveillance.
Aireon’s
space-based
ADS-B system is
completely
independent of
traditional
ground-based
services.

SANS is
responsible for
the provision of
air navigation
services in the
Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia. SANS is
actively
investing in
airspace
modernization
concepts and
will begin their
space-based
ADS-B benefits
analyses within
the coming
months. With the
AireonSM
space-based
ADS-B data, SANS
anticipates
extending
real-time air
traffic
surveillance
throughout their
entire region,
making ADS-B
equipped
aircraft
position
information
available
regardless of
terrain or
ground
infrastructure.

According to
SANS Chairman of
the Board,
Abdullah
Alsuweilmy,
“Deploying
space-based
ADS-B is an
opportunity to
optimize air
traffic flow,
while reducing
the current
separation
minima and
providing
significant
airline
benefits.
Space-based
ADS-B will also
help us increase
safety for all
aviation
stakeholders and
the flying
public.”

According to
the
International
Air Transport
Association
(IATA)
20-Year Air
Passenger
Forecast,
the Middle East
will grow
strongly and
will see an
extra 244
million
passengers a
year on routes
to, from and
within the
region by 2035.

Don Thoma,
Aireon CEO
stated, “Aireon
is proud to
engage in this
relationship
with an
established
regional leader
like SANS. With
Middle East air
traffic growing
at a significant
pace, SANS is
actively seeking
new ways to
improve safety
and efficiency.
Our operations
and engineering
teams will
diligently work
on a concept of
operations that
provides an
analysis of the
value and
benefits that
100 percent
surveillance can
bring to their
airspace. We
look forward to
deploying
space-based
ADS-B in Saudi
airspace in the
near future.”